"How many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw? Okay. Uh...I need in volunteer?" Steve was talking to a crowd of soldiers in Italy and it wasn't going very well. They didn't seem to want Steve here, to say the least.
"I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?" one of the soldiers yells out. The rest of the crowd laughs while Steve stands there looking very uncomfortable. He looks at me and I mouth 'I'm sorry' to him and give him a smile.
I watch him take a deep breath as the same soldier yells out, "Bring back the girls!"
Steve shakes his head before replying, "I think they only know the one song. But um...let me...I'll...I'll see what I can do."
"You do that, sweetheart." the first soldier sneers.
"Nice boots, Tinker Bell!" a second soldier yells out.
Steve stands there, very uncomfortable, and scratches the back of his neck while he says, "Come on, guys. We're all on the same team here."
A third soldier stands up and pulls down his pants while yelling, "Hey, Captain! Sign this!"
I gasp and look away in embarrassment. These soldiers really need to just relax. Steve storms off the stage. I push past the showgirls as they run up onto the stage as the soldiers cheer.
"Steve, wait!" I yell after him.
"What do you want Charlotte?" Steve sighs, obviously not in a good mood.
"I just wanted to make sure you're alright." I say innocently, standing next to him.
"Does it look like I'm alright?" he yells. I take a step back, not used to seeing Steve yell at me, or anyone for that matter.
"Gosh, I'm sorry Charlotte. I just...I don't know. I didn't think they would be that rude." he sighs, sitting on the ground against the tires of one of the army trucks. I sigh and sit down across from him.
"It's alright, Steve. You have the right to be upset. They were assholes." I tell him. This earns me a stern look from Steve.
"What?" I laugh.
"Watch your language."
He's fighting back a smile so I know he doesn't really mean it. I smile widely at him before leaning towards him and hitting his arm.
"You know it doesn't bother you, big bro." I laugh. Steve just rolls his eyes and smiles, looking at something behind me. I turn around to see what he's looking at but I jump up in excitement when I see Peggy walking towards us.
"Peggy!" I call out and run to her. I pull her into a hug and give her a tight squeeze.
"Thank god you're okay." I mumble.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asks, confused. I pull away from her and tell her what happened to Annabelle.
"Oh, that's terrible! I'm so sorry." she says, then pulls me into another hug.
"I hate to break this up but what are you doing here Peggy?" Steve asks from behind me. He had gotten up of the ground and had silently been standing behind Peggy and I while we talked.
"Officially I'm not here at all. That was quite a performance." Peggy smiles.
"Yeah. Uh...I had to improvise a little bit. Crowds I'm used to are usually more uh..." Steve stammers.
"But I understand you American's new hope?" Peggy interrupts, saving Steve.
"Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every state I visit." he shrugs, looking a little disappointed.
"Is that Senator Brandt I hear?"
"At least he's got me doing this. Phillips would have had me stuck in lab." Steve sighs.
"You know that isn't true Steve." I interject, crossing my arms over my chest. "Yes it is Charlotte." Steve sasses before returning his attention to Peggy.
"And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know." she says, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder. Steve starts to say something, but then stops himself.
"What is it, Steve?" I ask.
"You know for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I'm wearing tights." he chuckles at the irony.
"Schmidt sent out a force to Rosano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the one-oh-seventh. The rest were killed or captured." Peggy says, trying to cheer Steve up.
"The one-oh-seventh?" Steve and I say at the same time, shocked.
"What?" Peggy says, confused. Steve begins to run in the opposite direction, Peggy and I following him. Eventually, Steve runs into one of the tents.
"Colonel Phillips?" Steve says, walking up to the man I vaguely remember from when Steve received the serum.
"Well, if it isn't the star spangled man with a plan. And what is your plan today?" the colonel chuckles.
"I need the casualty list for Rosano." Steve demands.
"You don't get to give me orders, son." the colonel tells him.
"I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh." Steve pleads.
"You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy." he says, pointing at Peggy.
"Please tell us if he's alive, sir. B-A-R..." I begin to say.
But Colonel Phillips cut me off by snapping, "I can spell."
"I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I'm sorry." he continues to say, walking out from behind the desk he was sitting behind. I let out a strangled gasp and fall into Steve. He holds me in his arms as he takes a deep breath.
"What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?" he asks the colonel.
"Yeah! It's called winning the war."
"But if you know where they are, why not at least...?" Steve begins to argue.
"They're thirty miles behind the lines. Through the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl."
Steve pauses for a moment before he replies, "I think I understand just fine."
Colonel Phillips begins to walk away but yells over his shoulder, "Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you got some place to be in thirty minutes."
"Yes, sir. I do." Steve says, looking at a map.
"Steve...what are you thinking?" I ask, pushing myself off of him so I can look him in the eyes. He ignores me, however, and storms out of the tent. I share a glance with Peggy before we both follow him.
"What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?" I ask Steve when I see him throw some stuff into the back of a truck.
"If that's what it takes." Steve says, his mind already set on doing this.
"You heard the Colonel, your friend is most likely dead." Peggy argues.
"You don't know that." Steve argues, the pain visible on his face. 'First I lose my best friend and now Steve might lose his. Life isn't fair.' I think, shaking my head.
"Steve, let me come with you." I beg, interrupting Peggy.
"Oh no, that's not happening." he argues.
"Why not? Bucky's my friend too." I argue back.
Steve thinks for a moment before he says, "You have to stay near me the whole time, okay?" I smile widely at him before throwing myself at him for a hug.
"Thank you Steve! I promise I will." I say excitedly.
"How are we going to get to Austria though?" I ask after another minute of hugging.
"I know a way." Peggy smirks before pulling us out of the camp with her.